


say my name

by prince_newton



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/M, barista!betty, based off another bughead fic I read, coffee shop AU, guessing names, meet cute?
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-06
Updated: 2020-01-06
Packaged: 2021-02-27 03:20:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,821
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22150186
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prince_newton/pseuds/prince_newton
Summary: Betty thought that working at a coffee shop would be well, boring. Uninteresting. Menial. but somehow, she had found a new mystery.
Relationships: Archie Andrews & Betty Cooper, Betty Cooper & Veronica Lodge, Betty Cooper/Jughead Jones
Comments: 9
Kudos: 73





	say my name

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [I Don’t Even Know Your Name](https://archiveofourown.org/works/13427628) by [erinx](https://archiveofourown.org/users/erinx/pseuds/erinx). 



> based off a story by erinx linked
> 
> this is my first work on this site, so any comments would be welcome

Betty thought that working at a coffee shop (as a way of becoming at least a little independent from her parents) would be well, boring. Uninteresting. Menial. but somehow, she had found a new mystery. Though not quite as big as solving the murder of Jason Blossom with her friend Veronica.

This was instead the mystery of Coffee Boy. Yes, it was not the most original name, but it had stuck the first time he had changed his name, and Betty realised he was lying. It wasn't unusual for someone to lie when getting coffee, her friend Ethel went by Erin to avoid the "that's your name?" response from rude baristas. However, it was unusual to change your name every single time you ordered coffee.

The door chimed his arrival, and Betty watched as he slouched over to the counter. He was wearing his usual crown beanie, headphones, leather jacket and plaid shirt tied around his waist. As he approaches she pastes on her best customer smile and asks, "What can I get you?"

Coffee Boy pulls one ear free from his chunky black headphones. "Large black." Betty nods, scribbling the order down as the boy hunts around in his pocket for change. He knows the exact amount, and hands it over before Betty can even ask.

"Your name?" Betty says, marker pen poised.

"Hunter." Coffee Boy replies, and walks off.

She sighs. Last week it had been Jack, and before that Ben, and before that Adam, and before that George. Every week the name would change, and Betty was left wondering what was so bad about his real name.

The next week he comes in again, always just after lunch once the rush had resided. His beanie is struggling to contain his messy hair, and his headphones are slung around his shoulders, instead of their usual place on his head. Betty wonders if she can finally have the chance to talk to him, but he brushes aside her "How was your day?" with a simple "fine", orders and walks off. When his coffee is ready, her co-worker shouts the name Harry.

Amidst the repetitiveness of her shift (Monday through Friday, late mornings and afternoons), Betty wonders what his name might be. Something old-fashioned like Hubert, or hippy like Dandelion, or foreign like Corentin- something that baristas would struggle to spell. Coffee Boy seemed like the type to be annoyed by a misspelt coffee. Of course, there was no way of knowing his name short of hunting him down, so Betty simply lets her mind bring up weirder and weirder names as she makes coffee and takes orders.

Next week, when her body is exhausted from the lunch rush, Betty slumps against the counter- cleaning it half-heartedly as she watches the clock tick forward. When the bell on the door signals a new customer she pulls herself up and adjusts her ponytail, arranging her features in a perfect smile.

Coffee Boy walks in, accompanied by a red-headed guy who was talking animatedly about something. Coffee Boy nods along as they approach the counter, then directs his attention to Betty. "Large black."

The red-headed boy stops too, and flashes Betty a warm grin. "Expresso, please." His eyes dart lower to check her out blatantly, and she fights off a blush. Next to him, Coffee Boy rolls his eyes and pulls out cash to pay.

"And your names?" Betty asks, sharing another smile with the red-headed boy. he was fairly attractive, and very obviously a player.

"Archie." The red-haired says with a flirtatious grin.

"Winston." Coffee Boy responds. Archie raises an eyebrow.

"No its j-"

"Winston." Coffee Boy interrupts, sending a scathing glare to Archie, who just looks confused. Betty beams at her first clue- so his name began with J. Huh.

When her coworker reads out "J-Winston.", Coffee Boy gives her an annoyed look which she mirrors with an innocent smile. Archie sends her a wave as they leave.

The next week is spent coming up with names beginning with J. Jilbert? Jilly? Jesse? Jones? Betty even shares her findings with her best friend and roommate Veronica, who rolls her eyes.

"Tell me more about Archie, he sounds cute." When Betty makes a face Veronica grins wickedly. "Perhaps I should come to your coffee shop more often if you get to meet these types of cuties."

Coffee Boy arrives solo this time, and minus his headphones.

"What can I get you?" Betty asks, wondering if Coffee Boy actually registers that it's always her that he gives his order to, or if he's too absorbed in his own little world.

"Large Black, with cream and sugar please. And a flapjack." He rambles, and it's only then that Betty takes in his ruffled appearance. Coffee Boy has dark circles under his eyes, and his outfit looks rumpled and his hair escaping from underneath the crown beanie. The deviance from her usual order takes her by surprise, which gives her the courage to strike up a conversation.

"Coming right up. And your name of the week? Maybe J-Tom?" She teases lightly, and the boy's eyes widen slightly as he blushes before he slips into a smirk.

"Nope. I think today I'll go with Edgar seeing as I'm doing Poe's work in class." Betty's inner journalist jumps in joy for a scrap of information about the mysterious Coffee Boy, and she hurries to continue the conversation.

"You study English?" She asks.

"Writing, but we have to do other authors as well. You a student?"

"journalism." She replies with a smile, watching as he mirrors her look.

"Figures- that why you trying to figure out my name?" He leans forward, and the thought that they might be flirting crosses Betty's brain as she nods.

"Yup. Let me guess, it's gotta be something weird. Jamerson? Jamirah? Jimmy?" The last one she just throws out and watches as Coffee Boy's face breaks out into a grin.

"Jimmy counts as a weird name now?" Betty shrugs, a coy smile threatening to overtake her features. Coffee Boy shakes his head in amusement before he seems to perk up, a mischievous look dancing in his eyes. "How about we play a little game?"

Betty raises an eyebrow. "I'm listening."

"Since you know my name begins with J, why don't you try guessing my name? No-one comes in at this time so it won't be hard to know if it's my order or not."

"And if I win?" Betty asks, determination setting into her bones. She was always a sucker for competitions. Coffee Boy beams.

"Then I'll take you out for dinner."

"that's my reward?" Betty teases, a warmth spreading through her. She couldn't remember the last time she had been asked out on a date since coming to college.

"And if you don't guess it by the end of the month, I win. And you have to pay for dinner." There's a nervous look about him, as if he's worried he's overstepped his bounds.

"What, so either way I have to go on a date with you? Count me in." Coffee Boy grins at her, before sticking out his hand for her to shake.

When she guesses Jerome, he sends her a thumbs down and walks out of the door laughing at her pout.

Surprisingly, he comes in the next day. He's in a hurry, but still gives her a thumbs down when she guesses Julius.

Jarvis.

Jared.

Jada.

Jensen.

Jezebel.

Jonah.

Jethro.

Jamar.

Johann

Jakai.

(the poor person who had to read these out kept giving Betty glares, as if the situation was her fault)

Each time Coffee Boy would smirk and give her a thumbs down. Today was the last day of the month he had told her he would be in, and Betty was running out of ideas. She had enrolled Veronica to help her, who was growing more and more amused with the situation.

"Just lose, the worst you'll have to do is pay for the date. A date! I'm so proud of my bestie for finally getting someone to ask her out!" She had exclaimed, before offering to pay if money was an issue for Betty. Money was certainly not an issue for Veronica.

"But I have to win!" She replied with frustration, poring over articles containing "weird baby names beginning with j". The competitive spirit her mother had instilled in her from her young age refused to back down.

The last day came. Betty waits for Coffee Boy to enter. she quivers with anticipation, and each time the bell on the door rings she leaps to her feet, expecting to see Coffee Boy finally walk through the door. When he finally does she gives him her best game face, to which he openly laughs at.

"Aww you look so cute." He teases. "Like a little puppy."

"You're going down." Betty challenges as he orders his usual black coffee.

Coffee Boy smirks and walks off, calling over his shoulder. "I wouldn't be so sure."

Betty eagerly awaits Coffee Boy's reaction as Amy- her coworker- makes the black coffee and moves over to the pick-up counter.

"Black coffee for Jughead Jones?" She says, and Betty watches as his jaw drops. His gaze immediately finds hers and she smirks, feeling like the cat that got the cream.

"How did you know my name?" He says in awe, leaning over the counter with a shocked expression. The coffee shop is empty at the moment apart from Amy, so Betty allows herself the conversation to reveal her dastardly plan.

"I googled Archie." She says simply. The red-haired had a YouTube channel called RedArchie and after putting in his first name and the college Jughead said he went to his videos had come up top. "He's a pretty good singer. He also has a public Instagram, where he's tagged you on several posts. Yours is private, but I can still see who you are @jugheadjones."

Jughead looks at her in a mixture of awe and amusement and fondness, and Betty feels herself blushing. "Was that too creepy?"

"You're a journalist." He says softly, "Your whole job is to be a creepy stalker." He glances up at the clock on the wall. "When do you get off?"

"Another two hours. So when are you going to pick me up for dinner? I trust you are taking me somewhere fancy." She teases, and Jughead grins.

"I'll pick you up at seven. Can I have your phone number, or am I gonna have to stalk your Instagram too?" Betty giggles, catching the attention of Amy, who scowls at her.

"Quit flirting with your man Cooper and get back to work!" Betty and Jughead share sheepish grins, and he pulls away to take a sip of his coffee.

"See you at seven?" He says, and she nods. He blows her a teasing kiss as he walks out the door, and Betty laughs at his retreating form.


End file.
